the power of shutting out all thoughts except those of his study.

Some of the boys had put together a rough sort of sky-rocket, and now
brought it out from the house to light it in the playground. One boy
touched a match to the fuse and the others leaped back out of reach.
There was a loud explosion, and the firework, failing to shoot off as
was intended, simply fizzled in a shower of sparks near the feet of the
boy by the wall. He glanced up, looked at the flames and then at the
circle of boys beyond.

In an instant he had seized his stick and was among them, hitting the
boys over their heads and calling them all the names he could think of,
beside himself in a sudden storm of passion because he had been
disturbed. They fled before his attack like leaves before a whirlwind.
In a few moments he had cleared the playground. Then he threw down the
stick and picked up his book again.

A few minutes later Monsieur Pichegru, who had been told of the
explosion, came over to him.

"You must not lose your temper in that way, my boy," said he. "Some day
you will learn to regret it."

"Why?" said the Corsican lad. "I was studying here, I was reading how
great Hannibal crossed the Alps, and that pack of fools broke in upon
me. I will not be disturbed."

"You'll teach them to hate you," said the master, trying to argue the
boy out of his ill temper.

"No, I'll teach them to do as I want, or let me alone when I wish it.
That's all I ask of them, to be let alone." The master, shaking his
head, thought that the boy would soon have his way, for day by day he
grew more solitary and his playmates' fear of him increased.

The teachers at the school and also some of the servants saw the fort on
the playground that afternoon, and the news of it sped through the town.
According to report it was very different from the snow forts the boys
usually built, much more ingenious and complicated, and along military
lines. As a result the next morning many of the townspeople came to see
the fortifications and examined them with great interest while the boys
were indoors at study.

When they were free in the afternoon the battle began, one party of the
boys leading the attack from the streets of the town, the other under
Bonaparte defending the bastions and rampart. Attack and defense were
well handled. The boys had already learned many military tactics and
they thoroughly enjoyed this mimic warfare, but the Corsican lad was
much too clever